Andrew j



(No Model.)

A. J. DEVOLL.

ADJUSTABLE STRAINER. No. 462,076. Patented 001:. 2'7, 1891.

jig/.1.

WI'L E5555. l \/E IZEIF'\ I wkw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREYV J. DEVOLL, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO \VO'ODS SHERWOOD & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

ADJUSTABLE STRAIN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,076, dated October 27, 1891.

Application filed March 28, 1891. Serial No. 386,852- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. DEVOLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Strainers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to adjustable strain- [0 ers; and it consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an isometric View of a bowl-and a strainer constructed according to my improvement supported therein, the supports being in a position to stand vertically as legs; Fig. 2, a similar View of the parts shown in Fig. 1, except that the supports are in a horizontal position and rest upon the rim of the bowl; Fig.

3, an enlarged side elevation of a part of the rim of the strainer and an adjacent part of one of the supports in its vertical position; Fig. 4, a section on the line4c 4in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section of a part of the rim and a side elevation of an adjacent part of one of the supports and means for holding the same in a vertical position, the support being arranged in a horizontal position.

7 A represents a vessel, as a bowl or kettle,

0 and B a strainer, as of wire-gauze I), having a sheet-metal rim 1), these parts being of the usual construction. The strainer is provided with three supports 0, each of which is represented as a wire bent at o to form a long 5 narrow U shape, the free ends of said wire being hinged to the rim Z) at c by bending the wire at its free end at 0 over the top of the rim and through holes B in said rim and then upward over the rim in such a manner 0 that the extreme end portions of the wire will strike against the inside of the rim when the supports are raised to a horizontal position and prevent a further upward movement of said supports. Vhen the supports C are 5 brought up into a horizontal position, the strainer propermay be placed in a larger vessel A, with the supports resting upon the rim of such vessel and supporting the strainer proper out of contact with such vessel A, as shown in Fig. 2.

here the supports are not long enough to support the strainer proper upon the rim of the vessel in which the same is used, said supports may be used as supporting-legs instead of supporting-arms by turning them down into a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, and in this position they are held by catches D, the same being represented as wires secured at the middle, as by solder, to the rim 1) and at the ends bentinto coils or spirals d, these coils or spirals in each catch being so near together that the corresponding support in being brought to a vertical position will crowd said spirals apart and will be compressed laterally by said spirals until the nearest parts of the spirals of such catch are passed by said support, when the spirals and the sides of the supports will return to their normal position by their own elasticity, and said spirals will project over said supports and retain them in position.

It will be understood that the strainer proper is used in the ordinary manner of a colander or strainer to separate from each other the fluid and solid parts or the fine and coarse parts of semi-fluid or finely-divided matters.

The adj ustability of the supports enables the strainers to be packed in a smaller space for transportation. 0

I claim as my invention 1. A strainer provided with adjustable supports adapted to extend downward to serve as legs for said strainer, or at will to project laterally from said strainer to serve as sup- 5 porting-arms therefor, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A strainer provided with hinged supports adapted to be turnedlaterally outward .to rest upon the rim of a bowlor other vessel,

or at will to be turned downward to serve as legs, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A strainer having hinged supports adapted to be turned laterally upward and outward to rest upon the rim of a bowl or other vessel, or at will to be turned downward to serve as legs, said supports being provided with stops to limit the upward movement thereof, as and for the purpose specified.

4. A strainer having hinged supports Ioo adapted to be turned laterally upward and outward to rest upon the rim of a bowl or other vessel, or at will to be turned downward to serve as legs, said supports being provided with stops to limit the upward movement thereof, and said strainer having catches to retain said supports in their lowest position, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the rim provided with holes and supports, each consisting of a U-shaped Wire and each wire near each end thereof extending over the top of said rim through one of said holes and over said rim again and resting against the inside of said rim when said supports are in a horizontal position, as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of the rim, catches secured thereon, and supports hinged to said rim above said catches and adapted to be engaged by said catches and thereby to be held in a vertical position, as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of the rim, catches, each consisting of a Wire bent at its ends into coils and between its ends secured to said rim, and legs, each consisting of a U-shaped Wire hinged to said rim above the coils of one of said catches and adapted to crowd said coils apart and to be held by the elasticity of said catch in proximity to said rim, as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of the rim, catches, each consisting of a wire bentat its ends into coils and between 'its ends secured to said rim, and legs, each consisting of a U-shaped wire hinged to said rim above the 'coils of one of said catches and adapted to be compressed laterally when crowded between said spirals and to expand between said coils and the portion of said catch connecting said coils, as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of the rim, catches, each consisting of a wire bent at its ends into coils and between its ends secured to said rim, and legs, each consisting of a U-shaped wire hinged to said rim above the coils of one of said catches and adapted to crowd said coils apart and to be compressed laterally when crowded between said spirals and to expand between said coils and the portion of said catch connecting said coils, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 3d day of February, A. D. 1890.

ANDREW J. DEVOLL. Witnesses:

ALBERT M. MOORE, MYRTIE O. .BEALS. 

